What are your 20 year olds doing?

Toffee44

Toffee44

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I have started riding a 20year old ex Grade A showjumper and took him for a wonder about at the show today and he loved it, took it all in and even had a play in the warm up arena. Hes given me back by confidence jumping so might take him in some classes soon.

I am also taking him to a x country open day hopefully just for some fun. Wondering how much I can expect of him. Hes showing no arthritus and is very much in good health, lives out with no rug. But then he wasnt in work last winter.

What do you do with your 20 year olds?
 
My 24 year old ex Grade A showjumper hunts once a week in winter, and competes and hacks out all summer! I have to keep an eye on his legs in case he gets stiff, and he really feels the cold so has to be super duper rugged up, and I have to make sure not to jump him too often etc etc.

I was told when I got him that I'd have maybe 6 months left before he needed retiring, 5 years later he's still going strong, and he still rears and bucks like a mad thing!
 
My 25 year old is a field ornament who loves to babysit the youngsters.

At 20 however he was doing ODE's and SJ with me.

He was retired because after my daughter outgrew him, I took him on and carried on competing him whilst he was very fit. However he got extremely badly bitten on his neck by another gelding and was off work for months during which time he lost so much muscle that I felt it wasn't fair to subject him to my weight.
 
My daughter's 19 year old does all pony club activities, show jumps 2'9 and x-country. Hacks 5 times a week and hunts once a week during the season. He's a 14.2hh Welsh Cob and is showing no signs of slowing down at all.x
 
Well, mine is 19 abd he hacks out most days and we compete at SJ, XC, ODEs etc etc. just been out today at an unaff SJ event. He is still registered BSJA but i onlty really do max 1m classes (more cos I am a bit of a chicken these days!). I do feel this is the height we can stick to though and have fun at. He is still full of beans and isn't really showing any signs of wear and tear. I do feed him a joint supplement but more just to prevent joint problems that anything else.

As long ashe's enjoying himself i will keep doing stuff with him. I have had him since he was 4 and he's competed all his life really so the fact he still loves going to 'parties' is why I will keep doing it. I would hope i will beable to tell when he'd had enough and then maybe I will do a bit more dressage than jumping who knows.

20 is not old these days really and, if the horse is still up for doing it then let them do it!
 
Mine is a positive youngster at 17. He still feels like a 10 year old, no arthritis, no stiff joints, nothing. He is hacked out and schooled about 5 times a week. Does PC stuf for Mini TX for fun, does a bit of clear round and fun rides and totally adores his hunting and keeps up with the Field Master. He is not showing any signs of slowing down and is growing old very disgracefully as he still has a nasty buck in him and has been known to deposit me most unceremoniously after a nice gallop - just for fun, mind you!!!!!!!!!!! Not bad for a 17 year old ex riding school dobbin (who is most definitely not a dobbin).
 
This 20 year old mare (15.2h QH) has an easy life now, for an hour a day she is pulled in from the field, groomed, and spoiled by an 11 year old blind girl, she is usually ridden out for about half an hour, just a bimble around the tracks.

Lexus is pretty arthriticky but she's had a busy life as a ranch horse and then at a childrens camp, she loves all the attention and is incredibly gentle.

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My almost 20 y.o arabian mare has started work again after many years as a broodmare, she needs some serious building up muscle wise, but she LOVES being ridden. She is thoroughly enjoying herself and considering it is about 15 years since she was in the showring she remembers everything. Pushbutton ride or what! I love her.
 
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My 20 year old ex-racer had a hard life racing and has had numerous injuries, including a fractured leg at the age of 18. He is still hacking out - cantering over fells and through fields etc and doing some unaffiliated prelim. Took him out today and he won his class. He is wonderful and I wouldn't swap him for anything!
 
My 20+ ex grade A was ridden pretty much every day until she was pts at age 28 due to a field accident. She had more energy than horses half her age and was an utter bugger for jumping out of her field to one with better grass - one not owned by the YO either. She needed regular turn out and could get stiff if kept in all day in winter but other than a few weeks off with a strain she was fit as a fiddle all the time I had her. If I went on holiday I had to get someone to ride her or she'd go bananas with boredom and cause havoc in the field by winding everyone else up.
 
I have a 28yr old 13hh Welsh section C mare (Tammy) who hacks out 4 times a week sometimes ride and lead with my yearling filly (Lottie) Mum rides Tammy as she is 5ft 1 and i am a bit big now at 5ft 9 However i do get on ever so often to take her jumping or xcountry. but it all gets too exciting and we end up with no brakes or steering!!!
At aged 24 she was still winning higher and higher competitions against graded jumpers and competing in our local Prince phillip cup team, however we stopped that at 25 as we felt the halt to gallop to halt would not help her joints.
She has some stiff days in winter when its very wet but walks this off in mins. She has a bone cyst on her elbow that does not affect her work but is stiff after being shod, also she has skin problems but over the years we have learned to manage this.
She was my first pony I was 10yrs she was 2yrs and she will be with us always, she has taught 4 generations of our family to ride and is sweet and loving with everybody. She is hard work and a pain in the a**e with some other horses and will try to boot them!
Her new job is playing surrogate mum to Lottie the yearling when her mum was sold earlier this year and Tammy is teaching her all the naughty tricks.
We love her to bits and i am sure she will let us know when she is ready to retire.
Teresa
 
my 20 year old ex racer hacks daily and loves it. does a wee bit schooling and pops a few jumps sometimes. She is pretty fit and agile although has a bit of arthritis.
 
Mine retired from Pony Club duties at 25, but still did sponsored rides, cross country and tried to teach me dressage until he was retired at 33.
 
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